- George H.W Bush was elected president in 1988.
- Governor Michael Dukakis and the reverend Jesse Jackson led the group.
- Jackson fared even better in 1988 thn he did in 1984.
- Bush and Dukakis competed for the best coverage on the short " sound bites" of evening news programs.
The New President
- Bush brought a wide range of experience to the white house.
- Bush had served as a member of congress, as an ambassador, and as the director of the central intelligence agency.
- In his inaugural address, Bush hinted that he would not simply follow the old ideas and attitudes of the Reagan era.
- Bush declared to critics "A new breeze is blowing"
- Bush promised a "Kinder, gentler nation"
Drugs, Education, & The environment
- During the 1988 campaign, George Bush had spoken out strongly on the need to control the spread of illegal drugs.
- Bush appointed William Bennett to be a special "drug czar" to overuse the nation's war on drugs.
- The President also promised to chart a new course for the environment and education.
- The president also appointed a strong defender of the environment, William Reilly, to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- When President Bush took office, 17 military plants that had manufactured nuclear weapons were closed.
-The Energy Department estimated that the cost of cleaning up and repairing the plants might rise to 200 billion.
The Savings and Loan Crisis
- A rash of savings bank failures put even more pressure on the nations finances.
- These savings and loan institutions, known as S&Ls
- S&Ls had long financed mortgages, or loans, for Americans buying homes.
- Many S&Ls were on the verge of going out of business.
- The Reagan administration had led a campaign to deregulate S&Ls.
- A number of S&Ls went bankrupt because the loans they made were repaid.
- The Bush administration set up a federal agency to take over the failed banks.
- Many people blamed Reagan administration for the collapse.
Reducing the Deficit
- The savings and loan crisis added to the growing deficit in the federal budget.
- To reduce it, Congress and the President needed either to cut spending or raise more money.
- During the 1988 campaign George Bush firmly pledged not to raise taxes.
- Through most of 1990, Congress and the President struggled over a budget that lowered the deficit.
- "Capital gains" tax cut would stimulate the economy.
- Democrats objected that the measure would mainly benefit rich investors.
- Congress and the President finally reached a budget agreement that would cut the deficit by nearly $500 billion over 5 years.
- The plan increased taxes on cigarettes, alcohol, and gasoline. It also cut spending in many areas.
Flags and the Supreme Court
- In 1989, the court struck down a Texas law that made burning the American flag a crime.
- The justifies ruled that the burning the flag protest was a form of freedom of speech, As such i was protected by the 1st amendment to the constitution.
- Bush called for a new amendment that would allow the states to outlaw defacing the flag.
- Supporters of the amendment argued that burning a flag was not freedom of speech but was a insult to the nation.
The End of the Cold War
- Since the end of world war 2, soviet dominated governments had controlled the nations of Eastern Europe.
- In 1989 and 1990, however the Eastern bloc changed radically.
- Communists governments collapsed. Dissenters, once treated as enemies of the state, began to come into power.
- In 1981, the polish government had outlawed solidarity, an independent labor union
- In 1989, the communists government allowed solidarity candidates to run for the polish parliaments.
A wall comes down!
- Communists East Germany had built the wall in 1961 to prevent its citizens from fleeing to the west.
- Since that time, the wall's cinder blocks barbed wire had symbolized cold war hostility.
-
- The Election of 1988
- George H.W Bush was elected president in 1988.- Governor Michael Dukakis and the reverend Jesse Jackson led the group.
- Jackson fared even better in 1988 thn he did in 1984.
- Bush and Dukakis competed for the best coverage on the short " sound bites" of evening news programs.
- The New President
- Bush brought a wide range of experience to the white house.- Bush had served as a member of congress, as an ambassador, and as the director of the central intelligence agency.
- In his inaugural address, Bush hinted that he would not simply follow the old ideas and attitudes of the Reagan era.
- Bush declared to critics "A new breeze is blowing"
- Bush promised a "Kinder, gentler nation"
- Drugs, Education, & The environment
- During the 1988 campaign, George Bush had spoken out strongly on the need to control the spread of illegal drugs.- Bush appointed William Bennett to be a special "drug czar" to overuse the nation's war on drugs.
- The President also promised to chart a new course for the environment and education.
- The president also appointed a strong defender of the environment, William Reilly, to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- When President Bush took office, 17 military plants that had manufactured nuclear weapons were closed.
-The Energy Department estimated that the cost of cleaning up and repairing the plants might rise to 200 billion.
- The Savings and Loan Crisis
- A rash of savings bank failures put even more pressure on the nations finances.- These savings and loan institutions, known as S&Ls
- S&Ls had long financed mortgages, or loans, for Americans buying homes.
- Many S&Ls were on the verge of going out of business.
- The Reagan administration had led a campaign to deregulate S&Ls.
- A number of S&Ls went bankrupt because the loans they made were repaid.
- The Bush administration set up a federal agency to take over the failed banks.
- Many people blamed Reagan administration for the collapse.
- Reducing the Deficit
- The savings and loan crisis added to the growing deficit in the federal budget.- To reduce it, Congress and the President needed either to cut spending or raise more money.
- During the 1988 campaign George Bush firmly pledged not to raise taxes.
- Through most of 1990, Congress and the President struggled over a budget that lowered the deficit.
- "Capital gains" tax cut would stimulate the economy.
- Democrats objected that the measure would mainly benefit rich investors.
- Congress and the President finally reached a budget agreement that would cut the deficit by nearly $500 billion over 5 years.
- The plan increased taxes on cigarettes, alcohol, and gasoline. It also cut spending in many areas.
- Flags and the Supreme Court
- In 1989, the court struck down a Texas law that made burning the American flag a crime.- The justifies ruled that the burning the flag protest was a form of freedom of speech, As such i was protected by the 1st amendment to the constitution.
- Bush called for a new amendment that would allow the states to outlaw defacing the flag.
- Supporters of the amendment argued that burning a flag was not freedom of speech but was a insult to the nation.
- The End of the Cold War
- Since the end of world war 2, soviet dominated governments had controlled the nations of Eastern Europe.- In 1989 and 1990, however the Eastern bloc changed radically.
- Communists governments collapsed. Dissenters, once treated as enemies of the state, began to come into power.
- In 1981, the polish government had outlawed solidarity, an independent labor union
- In 1989, the communists government allowed solidarity candidates to run for the polish parliaments.
A wall comes down!
- Communists East Germany had built the wall in 1961 to prevent its citizens from fleeing to the west.
- Since that time, the wall's cinder blocks barbed wire had symbolized cold war hostility.
-